[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2231 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2231

             Concerning international women's human rights.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 20, 1993

 Ms. Snowe (for herself and Mr. Berman) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
             Concerning international women's human rights.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Women's Human Rights Protection Act 
of 1993''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION.

    The Congress makes the following findings and declarations:
            (1) It is the sense of Congress that the State Department 
        should designate within the appropriate bureau a special 
        assistant to the Assistant Secretary to promote international 
        women's human rights within the overall human rights policy of 
        the United States Government.
            (2) The purpose of assigning a special assistant on women's 
        human rights issues is not to segregate such issues, but rather 
        to assure that they are considered along with other human 
        rights issues in the development of United States foreign 
        policy.
            (3) A specifically designated special assistant is 
        necessary because within the human rights field and the foreign 
        policy establishment, the issues of gender-based discrimination 
        and violence against women have long been ignored or made 
        invisible.
            (4) The Congress believes that abuses against women would 
        have greater visibility and protection of women's human rights 
        would improve if the advocate were responsible for integrating 
        women's human rights issues into United States human rights 
        policy in ways including, but not limited to, the following:
                    (A) The designated women's human rights advocate 
                would seek to assure that the issue of abuses against 
                women, along with human rights issues generally, are a 
                factor in determining appropriate recipients for United 
                States bilateral assistance as well as United States 
                votes at the multilateral development banks.
                    (B) The advocate would work with the regional 
                bureaus of the Department of State to devise strategies 
                for the executive branch to bring pressure to bear on 
                governments that engage in violence or systematic 
                discrimination against women or fail to afford equal 
                treatment of women before the law.
                    (C) The advocate would, in consultation with the 
                bureau responsible for international organizations, 
                pursue strategies to increase the visibility and 
                integration of gender-based persecution and violence in 
                multilateral fora including, but not limited to, the 
                United States Commission on Human Rights and the 
                Working Group on Torture.
                    (D) The advocate would seek to assure that the 
                United States Trade Representative conduct inquiries 
                and take steps to prevent countries from receiving 
                trade benefits under the Generalized System of 
                Preferences and most favored nation status where 
                governments fail to address violence, systematic 
                discrimination, and exploitation of women workers.
                    (E) The advocate would seek to assure that the 
                protection of women's human rights, including womens' 
                participation in the political process, women's right 
                to freedom of association and expression, and freedom 
                from discrimination, would be addressed in the context 
                of United States funded programs in the area of 
                democracy including, but not limited to, democracy 
                programs at the Agency for International Development 
                (AID), democracy programs for Eastern Europe funded by 
                the Support Eastern European Democracy (SEED) 
                legislation, and new programs that may be contemplated.
                    (F) The advocate would seek to assure that United 
                States assistance programs in the area of 
                administration of justice include efforts to redress 
                violations of women's rights.
                    (G) The advocate would work with AID and the 
                appropriate office at the Department of State to secure 
                funding for programs to meet the needs of women victims 
                of human rights abuses including, but not limited to, 
                medical and psychological assistance for rape victims.
                    (H) The advocate would work to assure United States 
                ratification of the United Nations Convention on the 
                Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against 
                Women (CEDAW) and oversee the preparation of reports 
                pursuant to that Convention.
                    (I) The advocate would seek to upgrade the quality 
                and quantity of information about abuses of women's 
                human rights in the reporting from United States 
                embassies overseas, incorporate that information not 
                only in the State Department Country Reports on Human 
                Rights, but also in other public statements and 
                documents including, but not limited to, congressional 
                testimony and private demarches.

SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Congress 
on the steps taken to create the position described in section 2 or to 
otherwise fulfill the objectives detailed in that section.
    (b) United States Ratification of CEDAW.--If the United Nations 
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against 
Women (CEDAW) has not been submitted to the Senate for ratification, 
not more than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Congress on the 
administration's position on the ratification of CEDAW and timetable 
for submission of CEDAW for congressional consideration and approval.

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